Designer Jang Hyeong-cheol seeks uniqueness in 'Ordinary People'

Concept Korea SS 2016 NY / Courtesy of Ordinary People

By Kim Jae-heun

Fashion designer Jang Hyeong-cheol took a big risk launching his brand “Ordinary People” in 2011 with only 30 million won ($26,362). However, his clothes sold for 13 million won ($11,423) in the first month in only four stores and he became the first designer graduating from a two-year-college to join Seoul Fashion Week in 2013. The event is typically dominated by graduates from major local and foreign fashion schools. In 2015, Jang also became the youngest Korean designer to stage a runway show at the New York Fashion Week as part of the government’s project “Concept Korea” that aims to foster global fashion designers.

“Normally designers with ten years of experience join the project but when I applied, I was only a fourth-year designer,” said Jang during the interview with The Korea Times at his showroom in Gangnam, southern Seoul, on July 13. “I was already behind in terms of my career, but the evaluation to pick the two participating designers in New York was split 50 to 50 with local and foreign experts. I did not receive good marks from the locals but I received good marks from foreign evaluators and was chosen for Concept Korea.

2016FW NY / Courtesy of Ordinary People

“It was my goal to participate in New York Fashion Week in my tenth year but I tried it early anyways. I did not expect to win the project and when I made it, I only had a month to prepare. My brand received great responses there,” said Jang.

The Korean fashion designer revealed that he did not use any black on the New York runways, although the color is often used as a main theme. He wanted to break the stereotype. Despite many suggestions to use black in his collection for the U.S. show, he refused and it was seen as innovative.

Jang did not stop participating in global runway shows and moved on to make sales in global menswear fashion fair “Pitti Uomo” in Florence, Italy, in January and June 2014 and in June this year. He had talked with buyers there for deals worth over 300,000 dollars, which are still in process.

“I personally think it is a bigger achievement than participating in New York Fashion Week. I am not doing collections to sell clothes. If I entered New York to perform with a better collection, I am participating Pitti Uomo to obtain orders and differentiate which materials are used. It worked out and people liked it. It is my third time participating in Pitti Uomo and I staged two runway shows in New York so people recognized me better (this time),” said Jang.

Now Jang has joined the ranks of successful fashion designers, but making clothes was not his main interest originally. He was majoring in hotel cooking before he decided to learn fashion while serving in the military.

“The army is a place where you get to think a lot. I was thinking about my future after I was discharged and I realized I was reading a lot of fashion magazines to help pass the time. It was more that I wanted to learn about fashion than become a fashion designer right away,” said Jang.

After graduating from Seoul Fashion College, Jang joined fashion designer Ko Tae-yong’s brand Beyond Closet as a starting member. He was 24 and Ko was 27 then, but Jang took care of all the factory production business.

In 2008, when Jang was preparing for Beyond Closet’s 2009 Spring/Summer collection, the theme found uniqueness in ordinary people and it touched his heart. The collection left him with such a good memory that when Jang decided to launch his own brand later, he adopted the theme as his brand’s whole concept and even named it Ordinary People.

“I pursue designs that ordinary people can wear in their daily lives, and not fancy clothes that only models or fashion people can wear. But I try to infuse my identity in it based on a “classic” look.

“I care a lot about materials used for my clothes and their fit. It is my goal to make clothes that I want to wear. I like shirts and neat pants which are realistic fashion rather than an art piece. I pursue uniqueness in minimalism,” said Jang.

His last season collection was inspired by boutique hotels. The designer’s clothes received inspiration from bellboys, wallpaper and carpets in hotels.

“There is no answer in the fashion field but I personally think it is where you can freely play with your skills, not your educational background or connection. I have a positive view about this industry,” Jang said.